Bubba shooting rests at the range

[Hickok]

I am not criticizing good, well thought out, and ingenious self-made rifle rests used at the range off a shooting bench, as some are really quite good.

The homemade "rifle-rests" that make me shutter are the ones with c-clamps, vices, welded scissor jacks, vice-grips, etc. that literally clamp or lock a rifle down so it will absolutely wont move when shooting. I have seen real "bubba" rifle rests used to literally "weld" the rifle to the bench.

One guy told me, "If the rifle doesn't move, it should put all it's shots in one hole!" I didn't bother to even discuss the matter, as it would have been waste of time.

Some guys buy a big magnum and then are afraid of the recoil, so they try and lock the rifle down.

I can't imagine the stock will last long when the rifle is solidly clamped down and shot. Doubtfull the rifle will shoot anywhere near zero when fired in a hunting position after being zeroed in a vice off the bench.

I believe if you can't shoot well, practice more. If you can't stand the recoil, get a smaller caliber or a heavier rifle.

[WILCO]

welded scissor jacks

I've seen a few of those. :veryconfu

When shooting off the bench, I use homemade sandbags and the hard case for my spotting scope as a rest.
For serious work, it's a Harris bipod up front and bagged in the back. I'm not the greatest shooter, but I get enough projectiles to go where needed when required.

[JSnover]

Simplify. There's something wrong if you need to do all of that for a good group. I have an Outers rest somewhere ... But I haven't used it in years.

[Plate plinker]

I've been know to use a rolled up winter jacket or the like and whatever else to elevate if necessary. Guess I like to use what I might have handy when hunting.

[JSnover]

Back in the day I made some range equipment and most of it worked pretty well. After a while I realized I really didn't need to drag all that junk with me.

[KAF]

The rest I use when shooting bench http://www.farleymfg.com/farley%20coaxial/packages/coaxialpackages.html

Real hard to beat it

[Calamity Jake]

The rest I use when shooting bench http://www.farleymfg.com/farley%20coaxial/packages/coaxialpackages.html

Real hard to beat it

I too us the Farley, he lives here in OKC, a great man to deal with.
And builds a very good front rest.

[btroj]

I don't want anything that holds the rifle that firm.
I did see a smart bubba type rest once. Guy had a pipe clamp with a 4 foot or so pipe. It had carpet wrapped around the pipe to a thickness of a 3 inches or so to give a soft rest. He used it by clamping it to a post and rating the rifle over the carpet. The purpose was to allow shooting hard kicking rifles while standing but with a rest. The clamp made it easy to adjust for any height.

[fouronesix]

I always try to use the same rests. Basic U leather sand bag front and U leather sand bag rear. Pretty simple to haul around and use at the range. The idea is consistency of recoil and interaction between the rest and rifle.

I too gave up explaining to folks that clamping into a vice of some sort will give different group POIs between that rest and what would be used in the field. The most common I see around here are one of the variations of the lead sled type designs.

Also agree about those getting a big recoiler that is too light (for ease of carrying of course) and then not shooting it because of recoil. But marketing and egos are hard to overcome with common sense. The first option and common error is to buy one ported or have it ported. Then try to shoot it accurately. Some can do it but many or most have simply substituted recoil induced flinching for muzzle blast induced flinching. Not to mention the absolute menace or nuisance they are when trying to shoot next to one. When one shows up at the range, I usually leave. There's always another day or time.

And, when I hear, "No one told me it would recoil that much or I didn't know it would recoil that much". Good grief, that information is everywhere and free! The ft lbs of muzzle energy for a round is somewhat equivalent to the recoil of that round. If you shoot or have shot an average cartridge (most do) that yields about 2800 ft lbs of muzzle energy (ave. 30-06 level) you know what that recoil feels like. Then buy a boomer that yields 5000+ ft lbs ME and say, "No one told me it would kick that bad". Oh well

[fatelk]

One guy told me, "If the rifle doesn't move, it should put all it's shots in one hole!"
My grandfather believed that, wholeheartedly. Nothing I could say would convince him otherwise, not that I tried very hard.

I just have some nice sandbags that my wife made for me. They work fine for what I do.

[Garyshome]

Home made sand bags for me.

[country gent]

I have an adjustable front rest I made that I seldom use. For most of my testing now its a set of bench sticks I made and a rear bag. Works very good with my shillouette rifles and others. Its adjustable for hieght and gets high enough to allow a more upright position for heavy recoilers. The AMU had a return to battery rest for testing M14 match rifles at one time that allowed for recoil sling tension and was very stable.It was on its own dedicated concrete bench for testing at 300 yds. Seen a .222 iron monster bench gun once thing must have wieghed 80/90 lbs had return to battery built in and no stock.

[Hardcast416taylor]

About the most regretted improvised rest I ever saw was as follows. A guy with a 8mm Rem. Mag. showed up at a range with no bags or much of anything else to test fire a few handloads of "J" bullet ammo. Since nobody was there shooting he pulled his fairly new Ford 3/4 ton pickup behind the benches and broadside to the target frames down range. He took off his shirt then rolled it up and rested this on the hood of his bright red Ford. I was just pulling into the parking lot when he started shooting. He fired about 10 shots then quit to retrieve his targets. I had walked up to his truck and noticed what the muzzle blast of his 8 mag. had done to the paint job. The paint had been heat and blast remover across his hood and about a foot wide! Did I mention the bent in ravine across his hood by the concussion? Wonder how he explained that "accident" to his wife and insurance agent?Robert

[TXGunNut]

I used to use a couple of old pants legs filled with oil dry. Now I use a Caldwell front & rear with 3' bubba'd wooden blocks made from 2X6's. Some days, tho, nothing shoots better than a Harris bi-pod and my off-hand under the butt. I like the modified scissors jack that a few of the guys around here have built, looks like it works better than my store-bought front rest.
I've long been amused by magnumitis, I've even sighted in a few of them when I helped out at a public range. With proper technique it's not really that big a deal, I just thing it's a waste of horsepower.

[MaryB]

I use one of these to sight in scopes and test new loads. http://www.walmart.com/ip/32801048 Otherwise I roll up my jacket and set that on top of the cheap 30 caliber plastic ammo can I use to carry stuff to the range.